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| "Beirut542" First Photo (Photo Credit: Ali Itani) |
Weird is
the only word that can describe my participation in the marathon this year.
First of all, I decided to put an end to my disappointment in the last three
years when I suffered from the lack of training. Thus, I had an objectiveto
break my PB, registered in 2011 (03h25m). So I started setting the plans and a
training program for this goal.
Then suddenly,
I received a call from WissamTerro the “Race Director” at the “Beirut Marathon
Association” asking me to handle the “Beirut542 Training Program”. I met him
and Mary Anne Ballouz the “Race Consultant” and finally met Khalil Khatib the
“CEO” and yes, I was assigned for the project. The project would change my life
forever, running will not be only a sport and a hobby for me, but a mission in
life.
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| From Left to Right: Coaches Alma, Mickey, Kathia & Ali (Ali Itani) |
“The Beirut542
Training Program” is a four months program that aims to prepare and train new
runners who want to run the marathon for the first time in their lives. Some of
them have never ever run before, not even a kilometer. It was not an easy task because running a
marathon needs a lot of physical and mental preparation.
The project
got its name simply because it was done in Beirut with the assistance of five
coaches, who will prepare five groups of runners to do the Forty Two kilometers.
It was the second edition of the program, after the first one launched in 2014 and
the number of participants this year was almost triple compared to the first
edition.
I had to
follow up with a huge number of runners and coaches that exceeded at times 150
persons, a huge number that even some clubs do not have it. I was responsible
to follow up with all details concerning the program, to follow up with the
training and the progress of the runners and to coordinate with the media when
they want to interview one of the runners or coaches, to set the routes the
runners will take on their long runs, to follow up with doctors who will
examine the injured runners. Not the least, I was in charge to provide with water
for the runners, to set logistics for any event taking place regarding the
project, like filming and much more other things.
On the other
hand, I was still preparing for my own marathon, at the time the program
started I was supposed to run the race so, I was still training, though due to
the new circumstances I could not train on a regular basis so my objective of
breaking my PB vanished. But still, I was happy I was going to run my sixth
consecutive marathon.
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| My first, last and only run with the 542 (by: Ali Itani) |
In addition, I
was not able to do my Sunday Long runs, not even when the 542 persons did it,
because while they were running I had to be found all around the track to check
that everything is going all right. I did my long runs on Saturdays, thus,
hitting many targets in one shot, I used to draw the long run’s course during
the week and ran it on Saturday to check if the distance is accurate, the road
is ok, the points for the water stations and most important safety of the road.
It was hectic and boring sometimes – or most of the time- because I was running
alone, so I had to carry by myself my phone and keep some money with me to buy
water and refreshments. After finishing the run I had to compare the road I
drew to the road I actually ran, in order to check if they are compatible and
afterwards to make the necessary updates.
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| Me, Joseph in the middle and Mohammed to the right (Photo by: Ali Itani) |
I have to
mention here, that each Sunday I had Joseph and Mohammad with me. Joseph from
the BMA used to prepare the water stations, while Mohammad was with me all the
way helping me during the run. Just four weeks before the race we had a dramatic
incident when Joseph fell down and broke his hip; that moment I felt that mine
was broken too, because work has been doubled now and Joseph was an expert in
his job. Luckily, Joseph returned after one month, on the day of the marathon,
his quick healing was a real miracle, I think it was the marathon’s spirit.
This is from
the logistics and organizational side, but what about the other side? I mean
the part when you have to interact with runners, to listen to them, talk to
them, run with them and cheer them up. That was the interesting part of the 542.
In other words, my duties were not limited to the logistics and the administrative
part only, but also there was another more important task, it was keeping in
touch with all the runners, listen to them, talk to them and give them advice,
if it is necessary.
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| Team's Breifing with coaches (Ali Itani) |
At the
beginning there were 137 runners, all of them were excited to run the marathon,
but, many of them did not know what a marathon means, how much dedication you
need to put into training and the changes in life style you have to do, in
order to be fit for the “D Day”. So, some runners - unfortunately- started
dropping the program, it was really sad for me to see some people
quitting. It was my job here to contact
them, to ask what are the reasons, and tried to get them back to the training,
sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I failed. One of the examples is two sisters
who were not as fast as others, this fact was disappointing for them, at a
certain point they decided to stop. But after a small talk one of them decided
to continue the training, while the other was not sure especially with the hard
work conditions she had, it was a big surprise for me to see them both starting
and finishing the marathon under the 542 name.
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| During one of the training (Ali Itani) |
There are
other cases when I was contacted by runners who wanted to quit, because they
felt they cannot do it, they are slow, they are not fit, and many other
reasons, but I managed to raise their spirit up and get them back to training
and accordingly to the start line. I have also to mention here the great role
the coaches played in this fact by cheering up their runners, at the end they
were the ones who prepared them for running. In summary, the number of runners
who quit the programs because they “think” they cannot run a marathon was only
three runners out of 137.
As I mentioned
before, I was preparing alone for the marathon, I had a goal to break my PB,
well, this will not happen this year. One week before the race, Wissam informed
me that I cannot run the race, because I had to be on the course to follow up
with the cheering buses and the runners on the road, of course it was a big
shock to me, this was going to be my 6th consecutive marathon and
the only one for this year, if I did not do it then I would not have run any
marathon in 2015. After long talks with Wissam, the decision was confirmed, no
marathon for me.
It was really
a week of grief for me, after months of preparations, I cannot express my
feelings but I am sure that every marathon runner knows how I felt. Until one
of my friends Andrew, an Irish gentleman who lives in Tyre, South of Lebanon
and came to Beirut especially to run the marathon told me after he heard the
story: “Cheer up man, you are doing a great job, you are a man who carry a
message of making other people run, without you they would not have been able
to do it. You cannot think of yourself now, but think of those people. You
should be proud of yourself and you will run the marathon later”.
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| With Andrew on the marathon's day |
The words of
Andrew were like magic, I still feel thankful to him, because he was right, I
need not to think of myself right now, but to think of the last 66 runners
remaining in the program.
The race’s day
came, everything was prepared, I had to be on the road with the families and
friends of the 542, we had several stops on the road to cheer them up, I was
afraid and scared and I had the same feeling I had during my first marathon.
With every one of them I felt myself running, I wanted to leave everything and
run with them but this was not my marathon, it was my mission and my
responsibility towards the runners, their worried families and the Association
who put their trust in me. I felt that those runners were also running for me,
I found myself in each one of them.
Our last station
was the finish line, I forgot about myself, honestly, there were some runners
whom I did not expect them to cross the finish line, but fortunately, I was completely
wrong, they all did it, with each of them, especially with the late ones I was
flying, I don’t think it would be the same if I was running the marathon
myself. In the marathon you cross the Finish Line once, this time I felt I
crossed it 65 times. Unfortunately, only one runner out of the 66 could not
finish the race, due to a sudden injury. Well, I think I was the luckiest guy
that day.
Finally, the
“Beirut 542 Training Program 2015” is over, but it left something in me which
will last forever, it gave me a new meaning for running, it gave me the feeling
that there are a lot of things to do with this sport, more that training and
participating in races. I feel now that running is a mission rather than a
hobby you practice in the free time. It gave me the feeling of being responsible
toward a wide range of people especially the young ones and those who lack the
courage to start running.
In a country
where everything is “Politicized”, it is very hard to organize a successful
event that gathers all people together and the Beirut Marathon did. The efforts
of everybody in the “Beirut Marathon Association” especially the President,
Mrs. May El Khalil, make it happen. Simply, because they believed in this,
believed that they have a mission and believed that running is a message. They
succeeded, we succeeded and everybody crossed the Finish Line.
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| The Finish Line Photo Mrs. El Khalil first raw seated, the fourth to the left, MaryAnne Ballouz first raw seated, the third to the left (photo credit: Ali Itani) |
